Heather Melville
Heather Melville | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1962 Hornsey, London, England |
| Occupation(s) | Banking professional, university chancellor |
| Years active | –present |
| Known for | Senior managing director at Teneo; Chancellor of the University of York; diversity and inclusion advocate |
Heather Patricia Melville (born 1962) is a distinguished British banking professional, currently serving as senior managing director at Teneo and holding the position of chancellor at the University of York.
Early life
Born in December 1962 to Jamaican parents, Melville grew up in Hornsey, located in north London. Her academic background includes studies at the IBM Business School in Hampshire.
Career
Melville's career includes her role as director of strategic partnerships and leader of business inclusion initiatives at Royal Bank of Scotland Group. In September 2016, she was appointed to the board and took on the role of chair for the advisory committee of 'CMI Women' within the Chartered Management Institute. A prominent advocate for diversity and inclusion, she established the RBS Focused Women's Network, which expanded to approximately 12,000 members across 33 countries by 2016.
Her leadership in advancing business diversity led to her inclusion on the Financial Times’ first UPstanding100 Executive BAME Power List in 2016 and the Empower 100 list of ethnic minority leaders in 2017. In recognition of her contributions to gender equality, Melville was honored as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2017. She also appeared on the 2019 Powerlist highlighting the UK’s most influential Black individuals. That same year, Portsmouth University awarded her an honorary doctorate acknowledging her efforts to promote diversity in business. In 2021, she received the President's Medal for leadership from the British Academy of Management.
Beyond her executive roles, Melville holds several trustee positions, chairs CMI Women, acts as a non-executive director at Enfield Enterprise, serves as a patron for Women in Banking and Finance, and is part of the Executive Leadership Council—a global assembly of senior executives.
In 2022, she was named the seventh chancellor of the University of York, recognized for her commitment to fairness, equality, and social justice. She officially assumed this role in January 2023 during a formal ceremony where she awarded honorary degrees to prominent individuals including banker Dame Alison Rose.
Additionally, Melville has participated as a judge for various industry accolades such as the UK Fashion & Textile Awards, The National Diversity Awards, We Are the City Rising Stars, and Brummel's Top 30.
Honors and awards
- 2010: Awarded "Champion for Women of Achievement" by Women in Banking & Finance
- 2012: Recipient of "World of Difference 100 Award for Economic Empowerment of Women" from TIAW
- 2012: Recognized among the top 100 Women Making a Difference Globally in Corporate Sectors, Washington, US
- 2015: Received "Special Commendation for Diversity Champion" at National Excellence Awards
- Designated Companion by Chartered Management Institute (CMI)
- 2016: Included in Financial Times’ inaugural UPstanding100 Executive BAME Power List (UK & US)